Cotabato residents hold peace rally amid Israel-Hamas war

Thousands of Cotabato City residents voiced their support for Palestinians caught in the middle of the Israel-Hamas war, Unang Balita reported on Tuesday.

In a peace rally on Monday, the residents called for the release of civilians suffering from the war.

They also urged the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations to mediate in order to end the violence.

The residents also offered prayers for those affected by the war.

Hamas militants carried out their deadliest attack in Israel's history on October 7, when gunmen rampaged through Israeli towns.

Israel has retaliated with air strikes on Gaza that have razed entire districts.

Authorities in Gaza said Israeli air strikes had killed more than 2,300 people, a quarter of them children, with nearly 10,000 wounded so far.

In Israel, meanwhile, Hamas gunmen reportedly killed 1,300 people.

Israel vowed to escalate its response against Hamas with a ground offensive and notified more than a million residents of northern Gaza to flee south within 24 hours on Friday. —KBK, GMA Integrated News